The World Food Program (WFP) has issued a dire warning about the rapidly worsening food crisis in Sudan, citing ongoing conflict and obstructions to humanitarian aid deliveries as key factors.
Despite a large-scale operation aimed at reaching 7 million people, the WFP reports severe delays in reaching those most in need, particularly in famine-stricken areas.
“We have made significant breakthroughs in getting aid deliveries to hard-to-reach areas in the last three months, but these cannot be one-off events,” said Alex Marianelli, WFP’s acting country director for Sudan.
“We urgently need to get a constant flow of aid to families in the hardest-hit locations, which have also been the most difficult to reach.”
Adding to the logistical challenges, a severe cash shortage within Sudan is hampering the WFP’s ability to distribute aid, delaying payments to essential workers and disrupting transportation.
The WFP has urgently called on all parties involved in the conflict to respect humanitarian neutrality and remove all obstacles hindering the delivery of life-saving food aid.
The agency emphasizes the staggering scale of the crisis, with 24.6 million people facing acute food insecurity and 27 locations at immediate risk of famine.
The ongoing conflict, which began in April 2023, has already claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions, creating a perfect storm for a humanitarian catastrophe.